Steel and Mana

Chapter 362 – The Summit (2)

The grand hall of the Ishillian palace was a marvel of architecture and craftsmanship, designed to impress and overwhelm in equal measure. It made Lucca admire it for a moment, remembering long-gone days when he was just a young boy, amazed by how it looked, even if it didn't show on his face.

Then, for a brief second, his breath was caught in his throat. He watched the high vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate gold filigree, each pane depicting a scene from Ishillia’s ancient history. Now, the death of Pascal and Mirian standing on his corpse, holding the Spear of Death, up there amongst them as the newest addition.

"We are in a completely new era..." he murmured to himself before his ears picked up on the voice of the Emperor of Geth and the underlying aggression prompting his words. "We don't need a scene," he said, walking forward and simultaneously signing to Major Pion to stay back; it is best if the arriving rulers don't perceive them as an intimidation force, even if they were precisely that.

His presence, luckily, was enough to silence the Emperor, drawing his ire, facing the man who he couldn't overcome for more than a year, suddenly forgetting everything, only feeling a kind of anger and a mix of fear-induced rage that completely immobilized him. Exactly what Lucca hoped for because before he could blow, others arrived, too, preventing Emperor Kadosa from speaking. Instead, he was being guided towards his chair.

Leon said nothing, just smiled, giving a nod to him, making Lucca feel he was still unused to how he was... 'handled.' His new Master, the Sovereign of Avalon, kept trusting his decisions. He kept accepting his advice... he trusted him. Something he had trouble reconciling with because it was partially illogical. Yet not at the same time. Shaking his head, he calmed his inner thoughts, focusing on the now and that he was now part of something better than he ever had a chance to serve.

Standing behind his Sovereign's chair, Lucca watched as the room began filling up. He surveyed the arrivals, quietly whispering their name and rank into Leon's ear.

Emperor Kadosa IV of Geth they had already met, but not far off to the left of him sat High Cardinal Damar of the Theocracy, covered in his ceremonial white and gold robes, his face the mixture of haughtiness and calmness simultaneously. Another seat over was a similarly familiar man, Chairman Alvor of Atuvia, giving a nod towards them, primarily aimed at Leon. Moving their eyes, there sat the delegation from Roblesia, which was headed by Queen Nuen IX, age already drawing lines on her face, yet still looking like she was full of vigor and youthful energy. Her gown, a deep emerald green, clung to her body, revealing curves that were rivaling those of Mikan's.

Continuing their survey came the three leaders Merlin was talking with. He had just finished his speech as the rest took their seats, standing up, and slowly strolled back towards Leon. As he walked, he passed by the delegation of Scorc, led by someone Lucca introduced to Leon as President Dai, currently tasked to be the voice of the Federation. Of course, a few other ministers accompanied him.

Walking steadily, Merlin's stride took him past three other leaders, ones who Lucca kept introducing to his Sovereign. First was the ruler of the Principality of Lacry, Lord Iscariot, who was the western neighbor of Ishillia. He had already visited Avalon once, so Leon didn't need to be introduced, but he was not about to tell Lucca to stop. As far as diplomacy went, they were on good terms, trading amicably through Ishillia.

Next to them were the other two Western kingdoms, two parties with a bit more rough history. They fought multiple times and have been butting heads for the past six hundred years, with a few decades of peace between each skirmish. One was King Vizsla from the Kingdom of Nonia, and the other was King Doromo from the Kingdom of Clauria. So far, from what Lucca could gather through Kaelis and Lyria's efforts, there were clues that it was the Geth Empire instigating them every time.

It made sense. If the northern neighbors of the Geth Empire had united, they might have been sandwiched by another hungry wolf other than Ishillia.

"It isn't going to be smooth," Merlin spoke as he arrived, nodding at Lucca, who straightened, letting the Prime Minister do the talking from then on. "The three I talked with, Yvar, Huren, and Shi, we can easily sway. They are already on board... The rest is... It is up to you, My Sovereign."

"I can see that..." He muttered, wearing a calm smile that made Lucca strangely at ease. Unlike his previous Master... Leon gave him a feeling of a type of confidence that came not from his personal power but from the power behind him. Something that came from multiple sources... Something much more grand than Pascal ever had control over.

...
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I watched from my seat, flanked by my twins, as everyone took their seats, and the first day of the Summit was about to begin. My eyes darted between each leader, doing my best to gauge their moods, trying to catch subtle shifts in their body language while also keeping my senses open for thoughts coming from my children. Since that day Pascal died, although I couldn't feel magic as they did, I could sense it being used. It was a weird... faraway, tingling sensation. It was always hard to put into words, but it was there.

For now, Arthur and Leyla remained silent as instructed and kept their senses open, and as they communicated with each other, I could somewhat pick up on it. I noticed when Leyla’s fingers twitched slightly as she felt the sharp sting of Emperor Kadosa’s anger, gazing at us and at Lucca. Arthur, meanwhile, I noticed that he focused on the quieter, more subtle ones, like the curiosity of the Queen of Roblesia, expecting a new chance to further her goals... whatever those may be.

Finally, starting the whole ordeal, Mirian rose from her seat at the head of the table. She wore an elegant golden-colored royal gown, surrounded by her family, including Milan and their two children. Her posture was firm and attention-demanding, and she showed ample strength without being overbearing. When she spoke, her voice was the perfect balance between being commanding and welcoming.

"I am honored that so many of you accepted my invitation to this monumental event and graced my Summit with your presence. You are all leaders, honored guests of my Empire," she continued, looking at each of the others, "I welcome you all to Ishillia. I thank you for making the journey to this Summit and for setting aside personal conflicts and national grievances to sit at this table so we can open up a new future. For all of us. It is no small feat that we are all gathered here today. But it shows me that what I want to propose to you all is not something unachievable. The fact we are sitting here shows it."

She let her words settle between us, looking at us one by one, expecting someone to interfere, but when it didn't happen, she continued.

"I have called this Summit not to dwell on the past, where we all fought more than once... but to open up a new page and forge a new path forward. Our lands have been ravaged by war for generations. Borders have been drawn and redrawn too many times to count, usually with the blood of thousands."

"That is an understatement..." a voice whispered from the spot of the Federation of Scorc, an understandable point that nobody would argue with.

"Yes." Mirian nodded before asking a question: "And it has to end. Or must we consign our children to the same endless cycle of strife and ruin? The one that keeps repeating?" Mirian asked as her gaze swept across the table, pausing on each leader before continuing. "I propose something that would stop it from happening. A unified alliance among our nations. A coalition built on mutual strength and shared prosperity. A pact that would safeguard all our lands, ensuring that we do not simply recover from war but that we prevent the next one from ever beginning. No more conquest, no more bloodshed. It must end..."

"Says the Ishillian..." A stray murmur rippled through the assembly, making me glance towards the Sar Emperor as it came from their side to my surprise.

Listening to my twins' feelings, I could perceive that it was more sarcastic than... accusing. Still, some nodded, others whispered to their advisors, not wanting to join in on the sudden regard. Not yet, at least. The only one who almost spoke up again was Emperor Kadosa, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair, betraying his dwindling self-control. Turning my head, I watched as High Cardinal Damar shifted in his seat, his lips pressed into a thin line, probably thinking the same thing about the Sar Empire, who they fought for a long time.

To my surprise, I realized that Queen Nuen of Roblesia, the staunch ally of the Cardinal, however, inclined her head slightly, appearing at least intrigued by the proposal. That was a good sign...

"I know." Mirian pressed on. "I understand that this is not a simple request. But if Ishillia can change, so can you." She said bluntly, "Yes, a union like that requires trust, something that has long been in short supply between our nations. I am also aware that trust is not built in a day—it is earned. You may berate my Empire that we are the least trustworthy, but in my eyes, we all start from zero. We can all go back into the past and find examples that 'prove a point,' but how far are you willing to go back just to be 'right?' A century? Five centuries? A thousand years? Let us go back two thousand years? Then there won't be any peace around here. Never... I sincerely believe we must take the first step here, together, if we are to prevent a future that is far darker than any of us can afford to ignore."

I had to admit it: She was pretty good. I didn't expect her to be this energetic and motivated. I could see that even Kadosa flinched a little. For a moment, silence reigned. Then, it was broken... by Roblesia.

"As Roblesia's representative," Queen Nuen spoke up, "We acknowledge that it is a noble sentiment, Empress," she said, her voice carrying an even and calm tone. "But such an alliance requires more than words. It requires structure, leadership, and guarantees. Who, for instance, would lead such a coalition? You? Who ensures that each member is treated fairly and not strong-armed into submission? Once again... You?" She asked, slightly smiling, looking at her with expectant eyes.

"That is a reasonable question," Mirian replied, her tone steady, showing she was ready for such questions. "One I have thought about before calling you to this Summit. I do not seek to establish an empire that governs over others. This must be a council of equals, where each nation retains its sovereignty while committing to common goals: trade, mutual defense, and shared responsibility in handling crises. There won't be a leader. We would deliberate, and the majority would decide when questions arose. What we would have to uphold the most would be that if any member is attacked, the others stand up to defend them."

"Pft," Emperor Kadosa scoffed, finally letting his anger out. "Words from the mouth of an Ishillian are like the wind carrying the stench of decay, Empress Mirian. You speak of trust and unity, but history tells us another story. All of us here have lost land to your Empire and its ever-increasing demand for new territory. Lands were seized, and lives were lost, so much that it would take us years to count. And now you expect us to simply sit around a table and pretend that such things never happened?"

"As far as I recall, the last time it was you who encroached on our territory, Emperor Kadosa." Mirian met his gaze, her expression unbothered by his words. "Answering your question, though... I do not expect wounds to heal overnight, but I refuse to believe they cannot heal at all. Tell me, Emperor Kadosa—if we do not attempt this, what is the alternative? Another war? Another land grab? How many more of your soldiers must die before peace is worth considering?"

Kadosa narrowed his eyes, glancing at the Scorc delegation, knowing they suffered even more than him. Yet, surprisingly, they remained silent so far. However, I could feel through my twins that it was clear he had not come here to be convinced so easily. No... he wasn't interested in being convinced.

"I see the point," Cardinal Damar chose to interject at that moment. "I see merit in what you propose, Empress Mirian," he said, his voice a bit ragged and somewhat careful of sounding too accepting. "But, we need to see the foundation of this before committing ourselves to such an idea. What, for example, would be the terms of trade? How would disputes between nations be resolved? These are not trivial matters, especially not in the light of the past decade."

"Of course." Mirian nodded. "These are questions we must answer together. That is why I wanted to call you all here, so we can do so as one. I propose the creation of a charter, one that outlines the rights and responsibilities of each member. Trade routes would be established and protected, disputes mediated by a council of representatives, and mutual defense guaranteed against external threats, as I explained."

"What if there are disputes between members?" King Vizsla suddenly asked, eyeing King Doromo on his left.

"The others would step in to mediate." Mirian answered at once, "As I said... we need unity. Disputes can be settled... but not by us throwing our armies against each other."

"Big words––" Kadosa spoke up again, and I could see my kids twitch, reacting to the aggression behind him, so I cut in before he could rile up the others.

"They are not really," I said with a booming voice, leaning back in my chair, directly looking at him. "The alternative to cooperation is stagnation, and stagnation breeds decay. You already smell from its rot, Emperor Kadosa IV of Geth. If we let old wounds dictate our future like you do, we may not have a future at all. Empress Mirian’s proposal is not without risk, but the greater risk lies in doing nothing and letting history repeat itself."

"Is that a threat...?" He asked, eyes narrowing.

"If you want to take it as one, then yes," I said bluntly, and I could feel the surprise washing over many and heard some sharp inhales from the side of the smaller kingdoms. "As Empress Mirian said, a united region is what we need. We can work together, prosper together... defend together. If your Geth doesn't want a part in it? There is the door. Leave." I continued, pointing towards the entrance to the chamber, "Anyone can leave at any time and head home. Just be sure to prepare to be as sealed off as the Kingdom of Moros between Geth and Sar. So much so that their leader wasn't even let to join us at this table."

"You have no right to interfere with our politics. Or will the Union be doing exactly that?" Emperor Sar also joined in, and although their relationship was strained, they were still cooperating in some ways.

"No." I shook my head. "I was not interfering; I was showing an example. Because then, Geth would be just as isolated. Good luck with that."

"What a Union... threatening us to join..." Kadosa smirked, making me shrug.

"Chairman Alvor," I turned towards him, "Can you cut off all trade with the Geth Empire?"

"Easily." He answered calmly.

"Good. Merlin..."

"Yes, my Sovereign?"

"Cut off all relationships with them. Forbid selling Geth anything we may make and prevent any railroad from ever heading into Geth. I do hope you can help with that." I smiled, looking at Mirian... and the Kings of Nonia and Clauria. It took only one glance to know that they understood it. It was a chance to put an empire that was always stronger than them into its place.

"Of course." They answered, and I knew the Kings were more than willing to do it, as they had been waiting for the trains to finally arrive in their countries for the past half a decade.

"You–!" Kadosa gritted his teeth, suddenly going red in the face, but I ignored him.

"I will only do business with those who are in the Union." I declared firmly, "It is that simple. And anybody dealing with Geth will go on Avalon's blacklist, to be never be traded with, even if they are part of the Union." I continued, raising a hand and pointing towards the door. "Emperor Kadosa. The door is there... why are you still sitting?"

"...!" I could feel him wanting to say something, but the anger boiling in him prevented him from doing so.

"As for Geth itself... come back when you changed the one sitting on your throne. Rejoining the Union is... not out of the question. Just have someone with sense leading you." I smiled, looking not at Kadosa but the people around him.